and dance cheesy. his theme speaks to the nature of
life in Gangnam. As one of the richest and busiest areas,
the workers of Gangnam (and Korea as a whole) have
some of the longest working hours in the world. With
strict dress codes and confucianist business hierarchies,
Gangnam businessmen and women are oten in the oice
until ater dark and dressed in full professional atire.
Ater work, the clubs and bars of Gangnam turn into
some of the busiest in Korea as these business workers
“unwind” and decompress before heading home for the
day. his work hard and play hard mentality is certainly
not isolated to Gangnam district, but with expensive
and luxurious clubs a plenty this mindset can seem even
more ampliied and exaggerated.
Another important element of the song (that
is oten overlooked) is the satire on the nature of
consumption in Gangnam. Many Koreans (and
foreigners alike) who visit this area oten pay much
more for the goods and services than they would in
other parts of Seoul. Places like cafés, restaurants and
nightclubs charge a premium for their services just
because of their location and reputations. While this
is certainly not a new phenomenon, people who visit
Gangnam have come to accept and even, embrace this
mentality. Psy himself even touches on this in the song
when he references the type of girl who will spend very
litle on food (eating instant noodles) so that she can
enjoy (and aford) the premium cofee of Gangnam’s
overpriced cafés.
Although some of these characterizations of
Gangnam may seem negative, they are merely the price
you must pay for some of the best shopping and eating
in Seoul. With hundreds of side streets, there are plenty
of boutiques and speciality shops to keep you happy.
Restaurants are certainly not in short supply either, as
many business workers and interns have lengthy lunch
breaks to take advantage of. With regards to tourism,
Gangnam district is home to COEX Mall, the largest
underground shopping mall in Asia. Within the walls of
COEX you may ind yourself losing track of time as you
peruse the hundreds of shops and services. COEX Mall
is also home to one of Korea’s largest aquariums, which
has over 40,000 marine animals. Other sites to visit in
the Gangnam area include Seolleung and Jeongneung
tombs and the Kimchi Field Museum.
Even though Seoul’s cultural and artistic centers
may be elsewhere, its luxurious, ritzy clubs and inancial
nerve center are certainly located within Gangnam.
hough many Koreans strive to live, work and party
within the towers of Korea’s Beverly Hills, the hustle and
bustle of Gangnam’s streets may not be for everyone.
his fast paced and expensive district may be what many
people think of when they think of Korea, especially
due to the popularity of Psy’s mega-hit song and dance.
Rightly or wrongly, Gangnam’s style may be the new
face of Korea the international world sees.
Architecturally, Gangnam is modern and striking.
With massive skyscrapers and looming apartment
complexes, this district can leave you feeling a bit
overwhelmed. If the architecture alone doesn’t leaving
you feeling small and insigniicant, the crowds of
people may. With some of the busiest streets in Korea,
Gangnam sidewalks are especially treacherous during
peak commute hours. he major subway stations
and walkways are oten shoulder to shoulder during
busy periods so please note; Gangnam is not for the
claustrophobic.
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